Technology Manager (BU Integration)

Description & Requirements

Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Corporate

We're a global, multi-disciplinary team that's putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Corporate, you are integral to our company's award-winning success.

• Enrich your managerial and organizational talents - from finance, quality, and supply chain to human resources, IT, sales, and strategy
• Augment your comprehensive skillset with expert training across decision-making, change management, leadership, and business development
• Obtain 360-degree support throughout your career life cycle, from early-stage to seasoned leader

About the Role

The Technology Manager for BU Integration serves as the key strategic liaison between the Intelligent Audio team and the business units. In this role, you bridge advanced technology development and product execution - ensuring that the innovations from Intelligent Audio align with business unit roadmaps and get successfully integrated into products. You will manage the technology planning process, capturing product requirements from various BUs (consumer, automotive, professional) and mapping them to the Intelligent Audio portfolio. This includes maintaining an integrated technology roadmap that shows when and how new AI/DSP features will land in products and coordinating efforts so that research delivers the "right technology at the right time" for the BUs. Additionally, you will handle outward communication and education - evangelizing Intelligent Audio capabilities to product teams and customers, and bringing feedback back to the R&D team. Think of this role as part product manager, part program manager for the Intelligent Audio initiatives, with a focus on cross-organizational alignment. Success means no gap between what the technology team is building and what the product teams need - leading to smoother product integrations and maximum business impact.

What You Will Do

• Roadmap Alignment: Develop and maintain a unified roadmap that links Intelligent Audio technology deliveries with product release schedules across multiple divisions. Work with each BU's product managers and technical leads to understand their upcoming product plans and feature needs. Ensure that the Intelligent Audio team's project timelines and milestones are aligned to these needs (or communicate adjustments as needed to stakeholders).
• Requirements Gathering: Proactively gather detailed requirements from business units for intelligent audio features - e.g. performance targets, platform constraints, certification needs, user experience goals. Translate these into technical requirements or feature definitions for the R&D team. Regularly update the R&D team on changing market or product priorities so that research focus can adjust in a timely manner.
• Integration Planning: Coordinate the integration of new technologies into BU product development. For each new feature (say an adaptive EQ or a machine-learning noise canceller ready for productization), work out with the BU when and how it will be integrated: which product program will pick it up, what integration support is needed, what testing will be done. Essentially manage the "hand-off" from research to product teams to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Stakeholder Communication: Serve as the evangelist for Intelligent Audio within the company and to key external partners. Create presentations, demos, and documentation to educate BU teams (product management, engineering, sales) on the capabilities and benefits of the latest intelligent audio innovations. Equally, communicate the business context back to the R&D team - why certain features matter, what end-user problem we're solving - to guide development.
• Program Management: Oversee cross-team initiatives that involve Intelligent Audio tech. For example, if a particular feature requires contributions from the cloud team and the embedded team, facilitate those collaborations. Track progress of technology-related deliverables in product programs and intervene to resolve blockers (resource issues, technical hurdles, priority conflicts) by working with leadership.
• Market & Competitive Awareness: Keep a pulse on industry trends and competitive moves in smart audio, AI, and adjacent domains. Understand what Amazon, Apple, Google, etc. are doing in similar spaces. Leverage this insight to inform the roadmap and to advise BUs on strategic positioning. Ensure our internal planning accounts for external technological shifts (for instance, a new AI audio framework or a new connectivity standard).

What You Need to Be Successful

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science or related field; MBA or relevant business training is a plus. 5-8+ years of experience in a technology management, product management, or technical program management role, ideally in the audio, consumer electronics, or automotive tech industry. Prior experience interfacing between R&D teams and product/business teams is highly desired.
• Technical Familiarity: Broad understanding of audio and AI technologies - you don't need to design algorithms, but you must grasp the fundamentals (Audio, DSP, machine learning concepts, connectivity standards) to effectively communicate and plan. Experience with media or audio technologies (e.g. codecs, audio signal flow, audio software stacks) or AI/ML products is a strong asset.
• Project/Program Skills: Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects or roadmaps with multiple stakeholders. Strong organizational skills to track numerous threads and ensure timely follow-ups. Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies (Agile, stage-gate, etc.) in a development context.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent communicator in both written and verbal form. Capable of translating technical details into business implications and vice versa. Comfortable presenting to executives and large groups. Strong negotiation and influence skills - able to align teams with different objectives towards a common plan. Thought leadership capabilities to advocate for certain technologies or approaches across the organization.
• Business Acumen: Good understanding of product lifecycle and go-to-market considerations. Able to weigh the business value of a feature against development effort and guide prioritization discussions. Experience conducting competitive analysis or market research in tech. Passion for user experience and an ability to champion the end-user perspective when discussing features.
• Personal Attributes: Highly collaborative, works well in a matrix organization. Proactive and self-driven - doesn't wait for instructions to connect dots between teams. Adaptable to changing priorities and able to handle ambiguity. A genuine enthusiasm for audio technology and AI, and the ability to convey that excitement to motivate teams.

What Makes You Eligible

• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment (post-offer).

What We Offer

• Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
• Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• "Be Brilliant" employee recognition and rewards program

An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development.

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Pay Transparency

$ 134,250 - $ 196,900

Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation are also available, such as bonuses or commission.

Pay is based on a wide range of factors, including, without limitation, skill set, experience, training, location, and business need. While the above range is a reasonable estimate of the wage range for this position, please note the disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographical differential associated with the location where the position may be filled.

Benefits

HARMAN is interested in the health and wellbeing of you and your family and offers a range of benefits designed to support your needs for holistic wellbeing. Benefits and perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with HARMAN, and may include paid vacation and holidays, paid sick leave, volunteer leave, and paid bonding and care giver leave. Employees may also be eligible to participate in comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, fertility support and adoption assistance, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, retirement savings plan with employer match, short and long term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

You Belong Here

HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you - all within a support-minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want.

About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology

Ever since the 1920s, we've been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected.

Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today's most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world's ever-evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award-winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other.

If you're ready to innovate and do work that makes a lasting impact, join our talent community today!

Important Notice: Recruitment Scams

Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', '@careers.harman.com' or '@harmanglobal.avature.net' email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: harmancareers@harman.com.

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job-related performance.( www.harman.com )